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If your dogs suffer from separation anxiety don’t leave them alone in a hotel/motel room. People will complain. It’s not fair to your dog(s), its not fair to the people staying in the rooms near yours, and its not fair to the pet parents who want to stay in that hotel/motel after you got dogs banned.

Having one senior dog is tough, having three? It really is a lot to deal with… but I wouldn’t part with even one of our oldies. Today’s challenge was to photograph something old. I jokingly asked my husband to pose for me after telling him what my challenge for today was, obviously he turned me down. 😉 I thought about snagging a snapshot of one of our antiques… in the end though, Lily-Ann’s idea won out. Sweets wanted his supper, Brandibuck wouldn’t sit still, so Thora it was. I’ll admit, I don’t like photographing her with my iPhone. It just doesn’t do her justice. She really is a gorgeous, gorgeous dog. I have a hard time believing she’s twelve. I remember the first time I saw her in person – after her trek with the underground railroad (traveling to us relay style driven bit by bit by volunteers like ourselves) – I broke down in tears. She really was the most beautiful puppy I’d ever seen, and to this day I’ve never met her equal… not in brains, drive, beauty, or spirit. She is a dog who is unmatched in every way, and I have been so blessed to have her as part of my life.

Rogers, who we are registering as Aes Sidhe Captain America, left us to go live with his forever family. Of course, they have a thirty day trial period to ensure things work out first, but I’m confident in this placement. I really do think he’s a perfect fit for them… and the picture they sent me earlier this evening – of him all snuggled in for a snooze under his new Daddy’s chin, the two of them laying together on the couch – just further cemented it.

It’s always a weird few days after someone leaves. Whether it’s a puppy going to their forever home, or a client dog who is returning home after being a part of our pack for several months… when someone leaves the entire dynamic of the house shifts. And that’s happening here now.

So… onto today’s challenge: “in your bag”.

My bag used to be a purse. Because I used to be a girl. Now I’m a mom, and more fierce than any girl… Grrrl, gurl, or Woman works for me. And my bag is not a purse… it really is a bag. And instead of a compact, lip colour, and moisturizer I carry a spare pair of pajamas for the kid, snacks, reusable bags, cloth pads, and cute princess and fairy bandages.

A person’s bag (if they carry one) can reveal a lot about that person. You really do get a real quick glimpse into their life and the things that are important to them. Amidst the papers and bits of “stuff” one just naturally accumulates (that needs to be cleared out every so often) are bits of treasure and parts of a life well lived, or wasted, depending on your point of view.

…all the essentials in one place.

Tomorrow? “Something you’re reading”. After that? “Happiness”. Something that having all the right things in your bag can help ensure… at least when you have a little one about. 😉

Today the boys of the Avenger Litter turned eight weeks old… kinda hard to imagine there are people who send their babies home at this point. I can’t even imagine sending them off so early. For us, eight weeks marks the time for puppy evaluations and well baby check-ups with Dr. Wickstrom. So that’s what we did with our afternoon.

The boys all had a blast playing on the floor of the exam room – as did a few members of the Acadia Vet Clinic staff. Our boys aren’t shy, and are happy to have a chance to zoom around and explore a new environment with new people. Altina was very impressed with each of the boys, and complimented “mom” on doing such a great job with them. LOL

I figure this is also a good a time as any to put up a page for them on my Sidhe Dogs website. After all, with evaluations as great as theirs, I wanted to brag a little – and really, that’s what my Chihuahua website is for: a chance to brag on all my wonderful babies. So I’d like to invite you to stop on over there to have a peek at some photos of the boys on our kitchen table – doing their best job at self stacking – and to have a good look at the results of our puppy puzzle evaluations.

I don’t know about you, but I could use another couple of weeks before December. YIKES! How on Earth did it jump from November 10th to November 25th so quickly? Way too many holiday projects are about to become due in no time flat. I had plans to make our own little advent calendar for the girl, but I’m now wondering if I’ll have time to do all the sewing I’d planned to. I may just have to cut some corners and find little pre-made baggies to put each days “treasure” in. LOL Well, either way, I’ll get something put together.

For now I intend to put on some super comfy warm holiday themed PJs, pop on a show, grab a puppy or two, something yummy to snack on, maybe my husband, and cuddle into the bed. The temperature drop today definitely says “holiday’s a’comin”, and rather than pump the furnace into high gear just yet, I’m retreating for the coziness of a very full bed. 😉

Our Avengers litter has made it to their fifth weekirthday. That’s right! The boys are five weeks old today. 😀

I’d had grand plans about taking proper stacked photos to mark the occasion… they are looking SOOO nice. Really great angles on them, strong rears, nice fronts, wonderful toplines. I wanted to show them off a wee bit. But yeah… grand plans. LOL The fact of the matter is we are five sleeps away from moving house – and well, there are other things that had to take priority. I did, however, take them for their very first outing.

I haven’t bought the boys their own carry bag yet. Roo, Marnie, and Alice each have their own…. but we figured Alice probably wouldn’t mind sharing, at least for a little while. So I popped them all into her travel bag, and brought them to school with me when I picked up the girl. We made sure most of the kids had already cleared out, and we opened the bag for all the teachers to see. They got held, smooshed, and generally just totally loved upon. It was a really great experience. The boys all handled themselves really well. There were some nerves, but for the most part they did fabulously!

While Damon was busy packing, I had the girl give me a hand taking some photos of the boys. Yeah, they’re just the same old iPhone pictures I always take of them, but they will have to do until we get settled in the new place.

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We also thought y’all might enjoy seeing the boys in action, so we nabbed a couple of videos of the boys wrestling:

We have for sure homes lined up for a couple of the boys, but we are still looking for one more forever family. So, if you’re interested, drop me a line! You can meet their parents, Roo and Sweets, at http://sidhe.tobi-dawne.com/Welcome.html At this point both show prospect and pet homes are being considered – so drop me a line if you’d like to be on our list. 🙂 My address for handling and puppy inquiries is at the Sidhe Dogs website.

Today I launched my new website for my Chihuahuas. More than anything, it’s a place for me to brag on my dogs; their accomplishments and titles. Eventually I’ll also have a page there in regards to my handling too, but for now? For now it’s all about our Chihuahuas.

So take a peek, and let me know what you think. I’d love to know who’s your favourite Sidhe Dog. 😉

Because of the Thanksgiving weekend, we’re not exactly on time posting the puppy’s one week pictures… but we’re close. And yeah, I realize you can’t smell the puppy breath, but wouldn’t it be great if you could? Here’s a little dose of virtual puppy breath, these guys are so sweet you can almost inhale them through your monitor. 😉

The puppies are now three days old (well, in another hour the oldest will turn three days old anyway) and I think it’s time we formally introduced them all. So here they are!

NATALIA

Natalia is both the first born and the smallest of the puppies. But this little girl is a fighter, who can charm just about anyone. With her small size and huge will she is an absolute doll.

ROGERS

Rogers may have started off as the smallest of the boys, but he has quickly caught up to his brothers. This little dood knows exactly what he wants and how to get it. He’s determined and won’t take no for an answer.

BRUCE

Bruce is a mild mannered little fellow, who is super sweet… until it’s time to feed, and then watch out! Our darling little man turns into a bit of a monster who’s only got one thing on his mind. Thankfully he calms right back down once he’s had his fill and is content to cuddle and snooze away the day.

TONY

Oh my. What can one say about Tony. He’s a total charmer this one. His cocky attitude can be delightful, but it can also be a little obnoxious too. We love him for it though. This is one boy who thrives on constant attention.

THOR

One look at Thor and you know he’s a world apart from his brothers. He is large, strong, and self-assured. This boy never lacks for good humour, and is always happy to belly up to the bar. That said, he never uses his strength to bully, instead, he can often be found cuddled up next to his sister – serving as a physical blockade against their more boisterous siblings.

THOR & NATALIA

If you hadn’t guessed by now, yes… the puppies are all named after members of the Avengers. We’d bounced a few ideas off one another in terms of themes before this one stuck. It just seems to work.

We had no problem at all deciding who would be named after whom once we’d agreed they’d all be Avengers. Each of them has a personality that just clicks with one of the characters. And true, their personalities at this age may not end up being accurate of their personalities as they grow and learn, but those basic fundamentals? Yeah, I’ll wager they’ll stay the same. 😉

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And my thanks to Damon for holding the babies while I snapped shots of them with my iPhone. I was pretty obnoxious with my alpha personality requests (tilt him this way, move your hand over there, I need more light…). LOL So, thanks.